So what are the secret roots of rock and roll? To get a better understanding, let's look at some of the key and foundational players in rock music. Jimmy Hendrix believed that rock music is a “spiritual thing.” He explained, “Atmospheres are going to come through the music because music is a spiritual thing of its own.” If music is a “spiritual thing of its own”, then we need to ask the question “what spiritual worldview does much of rock music represent?” To be fair, not all rock musicians hold to the following anti-Christian worldview, however there does appear to be a common thread that runs throughout much of the industry. But first let’s examine 2 major spiritual worldviews, namely “Occultism and Biblical Christianity.”
The word “occult” comes from the Latin word which means “hidden or secret”. Some other terms related to the occult include Satanism, Witchcraft, Shamanism, Sorcery, Mysticism, esoteric beliefs, and Eastern philosophy. While there are some variations among these belief systems, there is some very important “common ground” that classifies them into being occultism. Two central doctrines that are celebrated by occultists as being “hidden or secret” from the general population are: (1) there is a hidden force or energy that one can tap into to use for healing or harm. (2) human beings are really gods. Discovering one’s own divinity and being one’s own god is the goal of all occultism. Anton LaVey, the founder of the church of Satan describes the essence of Satanism, “he as a Satanist, knowing this…these essential point of Satanism, attain his own godhood…each man, each woman, is a god or goddess in Satanism.” Witch Margo Adler boastfully proclaimed, “We are as gods and might as well get good at it.”
The doorway that leads many people into the occult are “mind altering influences” or practices such as eastern meditation, repetitive chanting, yoga, hypnosis, psychoactive drugs such as marijuana, LSD, mescaline and even certain hypnotic musical influences. These practices can lead a person into an “altered state of consciousness” which can open them up to the “spirit world.” In addition, Occultists are pantheistic (meaning “all is God”) and believe that God is not a “personal Being” but instead is just an “impersonal force” which supposedly resides in everything. Occultists use techniques such as sorcery, positive confession, spells, visualization and guided imagery to attempt to manipulate the so-called “force” or “energy” to bring about their own desired results.
Understanding these “basics” of occultism, lets look at some of the personal testimonies of some major players in the rock music industry. After telling us that music is a “spiritual thing”, Jimmy Hendrix revealed the real purpose behind his music; “You can hypnotize people with music, and when you get them at their weakest point you can preach into the subconscious whatever you want to say.” The question we need to ask is what kind of message is being preached into people’s subconscious?
Musical MediumsCarlos Santana reveals that he was initiated into the occult in the 1960’s when he took some LSD while playing at Woodstock and he envisioned his guitar becoming a serpent. Santana admits to channeling spirits. The good folks at www.goodfight.org have brought to light that “Carlos Santana is a mere tool of the spirit world that he admits ‘assigned and designed’ a project fittingly called ‘Supernatural.’” Through his occult practices, Santana has opened himself up to demonic influence. He explains, “I know this sounds new age, but in my meditation, this entity (which is really a demon) – which is called Metatron-he said, ‘we want to hook you back to the radio airwave frequency…to reach your junior high schools, high schools, and universities…to present them a new menu. Let them know that they are themselves, multidimensional spirits with enormous possibilities and opportunities…present them with a new form of existence that transcends religion, politics or the modus operandi of religion today.”' Santana reveals that the spirit not only has control over him, but has given him an “occult purpose.” “When playing-I’m not Carlos anymore…” “When I let the spirit play me, it’s an intense delight. My role as a musician is to make everyone aware of his own divinity.” He then reveals his occultic worldview of this divine energy or “the force”; “The energy of devils and angels is the same energy; its how you use it. Geniuses…don’t have time to think whether people like it or not, is it morally right, will God like it or not?”
Robert Plant revealed that he was a 'musical medium' while a spirit channeled the words through him to "Stairway to Heaven." He explains, "I was just sitting there with Pagey in front of a fire at Headley Grange. Pagey had written these chords and he played them for me. I was holding a pencil and paper and for some reason, I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out the words: 'There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a Stairway to Heaven. I just sat there and I looked at the words and I almost leapt out of my seat."
Angus Young of AC/DC also confessed that “someone else is steering me - I’m just along for the ride; I become possessed when I get on stage."
Channeling of spirits is a form of "spiritism" where the occultist gives his body over to the spirit entity to speak through him. Ex-New Ager and astrologer Marcia Montenegro defines "Spiritism" as "Contact with spirits through methods such as summoning, channeling, evoking or invoking, using a spirit guide, using drugs, using a Ouija Board, worshipping spirits, or various rituals."
However, the Bible condemns all forms of occultism, its mind-altering techniques and satanic suggestions. Unlike the occult’s “ pantheistic” idea that everthing and everyone is a god or divine, Scripture reveals that “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power” (Job 37:23). “For thou are great, and doest wonderful things: thou are God alone” (Ps. 86:10). “What is man, that thou should magnify him? (Job 7:17). God rhetorically asks the question, “Is there a God beside Me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any” (Isa. 44:8). Only God is divine and not any man or his creation. In addition, God is a personal Being who is to be “worshipped and prayed to” and not an “impersonal force” to be manipulated through occult techniques like sorcery. “There shall not be found among anyone who…practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all these are an abomination to the Lord…." (Deut. 18:10-12).
What are the “Fruits of Rock’s Roots?”
Bono of U2 also revealed the occult nature of rock music and the spiritual effect that it has had on his life. “I stopped going to churches and got into a different religion. That’s what being a rock and roll band is: Showbiz, Shamanism, and music is worship.” David Bowie warned that “I believe that rock ‘n roll is dangerous, it could very well bring about a very evil feeling in the west….” “I feel that we are only heralding something even darker than ourselves.” “Rock has always been the Devil’s music; you can’t convince me that it isn’t.” (Rolling Stone Magazine, 1972)
The Bible warns us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; because many false spirits have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
“You will know them by the fruits” (Matt 7:16). So what “fruits” do we see manifest from the “roots” of these "musical spirit mediums" and their music? Bono admitted, “I don’t want you to sit there and say I’m a man of faith. I just read St. Paul’s letters, where it describes all the fruits of the Spirit, I realized I had none of them.” In their song, “Love Rescues Me”, Bono shows disdain for God’s Word in the 23rd Psalm as he twists the passage by singing, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow, yet I fear no evil. I have cursed thy rod and staff, they no longer comfort me.” In another song, “Wake up Dead Man”, Bono mocks the Lord’s sovereignty and wisdom when he asks, “Jesus were you just around the corner? Did you think to try and warn her? Or are you working on something new? Wake up dead man.” The Bible foretold that “there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit” (Jude 1:19).
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin also mock Jesus Christ in their song “Most High” as they openly oppose Jesus’ lordship in their lyrics, “David’s Seed (Jesus) talks through His 'paper crown.'” Mick Jagger also displays this same “spirit of anti-christ” by declaring, “If Jesus had been indicted in a modern court, he would have been examined by doctors, found to be obsessed by a delusion, declared incompetent and incapable of pleading his case, and sent to an asylum.” Contrary to Jagger’s accusation, Simon Greenleaf, who was Royall Professor of Law at Harvard examined the evidences for Christ’s claims and concluded that “the resurrection of Christ is one of the best-supported events in history according to the laws of legal evidence administered in courts of justice.” What Mick Jagger doesn’t realize is that one day he will in stand in God’s court and give an account to Jesus Christ who he rejected and be found helpless to plead his own case.
John Lennon shook his rebellious fist at God by stating, “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now, I don’t know which will go first-rock and roll or Christianity.” Ringo Starr also displayed the same rebellious spiritual fruit; “We are not just anti-Christ…just anti-pope and anti-Christian. Jesus is dead.” Of course, the Bible and historical evidence reveal that Jesus is not dead, but that he has risen from the dead.
Little Richard said this, “My true belief about Rock and Roll…is this…I believe this kind of music is demonic…A lot of beats in today’s music are taken from voodoo, from the voodoo drums. If you study music in rhythms, like I have, you’ll see that this is true. I believe that kind of music is driving people from Christ. It is contagious…”
However, the Bible declares that there will be a Second Coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom and to judge the wicked and those who reject Christ. He will then separate the sheep from the goats. Yes, God has made it clear what He thinks about this rebellious fruit; “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…” (1 Sam. 15:23).
Rock music and its lyrics have been shown to glorify and influence many to participate in such harmful activities as Satanism, witchcraft, sex (fornication/adultery), drugs/alcohol, anarchy, violence, and suicide to name a few. On www.goodfight.org you can see a clip of Bono holding an upside down cross and glorifying Charles Manson as he sings, “Helter Skelter.” On AC/DC’s hit song, “Shoot to Thrill”, the group instructs its fans on how to commit suicide; “…put your head up to me, pull the trigger, really do it now, shoot to thrill, way to kill….” Rock musician Blacky Lawless had this to say, “Rock ‘n’ Roll is an aggressive art form, pure hostility and aggression, I believe in that like a religion.”
Let’s contrast the “spiritual fruit of Rock ‘n’ Roll verses the “fruit of the Holy Spirit”.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissentions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Bible refers to as the “works of the flesh” is a perfect picture of the “spiritual fruit” that we observe in Rock music which is “rooted in the occult.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:19-25).
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, and they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever practices a lie” (Rev. 22:14-15).
Bob Dylan rightly expressed a spiritual truth, “Your gonna have to serve someone,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But your gonna have to serve somebody”
Would you desire to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit that the Bible tells us about. The only way to have the "fruit of the Spirit", is to first be "in dwelt" by the Holy Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3). This is the work of God done in the life of those who place their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you would like to be born again and receive the free gift of eternal life, go to our Salvation page now.
